Tool kit



J. N. PETRE Nov. 8, 1949 TOOL KIT 2 SheetsSheet' 1 Filed Feb. 12, 1946INVENTOR. 'Jbfiw 77. Pei re agmnfl .Nov. 8, 1949 J. N. PETRE 2,437,174

TQOLiKIT Filed Feb. 12, 1946 2 Shee's-Sheet 2 INVEN TOR. J577 Pei???Patented Nov. 8, 1949 This" inventionfirelates tor an improvement in"tour-kits: of the: general. type whichiincludes a; box" fo'rz" the:distribution; display; support and" storage'oftoolsprovidedias'a setorseries; The

inventionconsistsgenerailyiri structural details oft the' box,enabling-its cooperation in. a novel mamrer "withrtoor features "of thegeneral ty e to be h'ereiirdscribed'andalsoenablin'g'the attainmentofthe objects setforth belowr'.

the typewhic'h comprise'a handl'e :anwashank" projecting from" and?co=axia1 71 with, the handle and-removab1jrh fitted thereto; and the ftool set comprises shanks provided with 11601 elements Which aresuitably differentiated, and a' hand1e15-common-tathe-*shanksyttfeseibeifrg adaptewfor connection, to and removalfrom the hand'l'e" Whereb Jthe several-."jsharrks"may;' from time totime as occasion may require be'use d-with such" v 2*? tling" or:marrin'gf, the b'oxi." with, the; contained; toolparts mayj be"conveniently shipped or carried; frompia'ce'to' place, and,"thelbox'when open, will" be" avafl'abTTor' "advertisingfand sales. display or;

Thuswhen the boiris open the. dis'play ofjtheetool2 parts willbetcompiet; attractivewandtindicativev. of-"lthe manner. of use;andfithe itool "partslwill .b'e.

accessible"for-'easy, arid'fquick jindividual..iremovaL'l andtreplacement; withbutflinterfe'rencetb oth'eri. par sr'Inthe'accompanyingiirawingsl Figure 1"is a perspectitecview 0tantoollboxt embodyingmrinvention as cldsedfonthe pure poses ofshiitmrent' err-of? 'bein'g carried. by. the. workin'en'ffomfpiacetopilace:

for-the purposes .of dflsplzitr'orv use;

Figure s is.awertioar'seetionaisvievv on the line which cooperatea novela-Ird'- advantageous manner withprojections provided orr-the shanks" andb'ymeans ofwhiclf-the shanks may severally" be -operatively'='associatedwith"the=*h'andi.

Figure-41's "a' horizontal "sectional .view along the," line 1|'-ll-ofiFigure-21 Fi'gure'-5 is""a"fragm'entary horizontisectibnalVarioustools conform to the type" described? The-*- bbx*"comprises?companion" haif section's Exampls are screwdriversy socketwrenches andspannerss Th'e kit which is' illustrated as -an ex-=- ample includessocket' wrenehes' of'varying' d-i ametrss' The composition of the kitis; of"

hingedly connected'fanm each including :a." side" wa1 1=,- the boxbeing" opened' and closed by V rel-1' ative-movem'ents-ofthesections-imbbok fashion; The -side walls l an *2 carryf'sets'oFtooI\parts'" course subjeet -to modifibation; according to the Aar-1'd Bresp e v ifitfieconstructfon of the sec need 01- desire 0t theu'ser:for" example; the kit showm includes a series of socket-wrenches and ascrewdrivers Th'e partioui ar means L ofconnection" between ferenttoohshanks may beinterchangeabiy attes to -the handle-maybe of anykn'own; or 'suitablei" construction which-"includes a projection 'formedon the sh'arrktoxerrableits operative association withthe handles- Theconstruotiom shown; by 40 veni'enceof manufacturethe front andirearwralfs Way oft exampi, is'that wh ich 'iS -di'scIOsed in 'de-'tai-lfiinz. the: :coeperrdihg: application for patent of John N.Petreand Johw o'i: Olsen, Serial No;

646554;? now Patent/"No: 25476,?625 d-ated July 19%119499;

Th'eobj ect ofthe-invention-"is to provide a tool kit wvhereim thetboxswilli have= meansfor thesup port ofatwo vsets of 'F'toob (shanksseverally difier entiatediim'eachi set, amigi if desired-, an:associated i of seachn omrbotkmsets s-theebbx when:cl'oseol' W1 1haslet: maximumrz; compactnessp. ami the J box:-h'asfeaturesoimzsuohi:coopenatiorrzwith the prog'ection'somtheetoolspaizts's-asatocmamtaimisaidzpants :in a

tions and the arrangement ofthe'setsbeingisuchz that 'whenthe '-box-isopened; as "showmm' Figur'e 2, any of "tHe-"'=too1 parts maybe't-freely'removed Z or replaced. The-sections are otherwise'so con,-

the" relative closing -movements'of"th'et sections the side rails are inparaiIe'P planes For con 3 are preferably formed as paral'lrfianges pro;jeoting fr'om' the longitudinai-edgesfof theside wall an'd the to'p'and=bott'6m"wa1-1s"4 areipref erab1y=f6rmed as"paraliel' flangesprojecting' from" the transverse edges of" the e smewaif 2 I" The rtioned-" to -close th e bbx the -opposite"wa11 L3 vi/11'1"handlesfmguse. withlzan-y one '-0f thetool-shanks =*abut'the-sidewal12adjacent its? free-longitudinalrelationsuch1asssubstantiaitlmtoe-eliminate:rat whichywhenthe walrzis closed'agairistthe adjacent front wall 3, may be engaged through a slot 8 insaid front wall.

The set A consists of a series of tool" shanks 9 of uniform length andarranged in parallel relation, and preferably includes a handle Illarranged parallel to the shanks 9 and carrying a tool shank 9a which isof the same construction as the shanks 9 and, as above described, isremovably fitted in the handle. The shanks are provided at their freeends with any desired tool elements II. For example, and as shown, thetool elements are socket wrenches graduated in diameters. The shank 9a.is similarly provided at its free end with a tool element I la which maybe of any form desired, the form shown being a screw driver. If desired,and as shown, a second series of tool shanks 91) may be arranged at theside of the handle opposite the shanks 9, the shanks 9b being of thesame construction as the shanks 9 but being longer whereby they are moresuitable for tool elements of the larger sizes. The tool parts of theset A are arranged with their upper ends in close adjacency to the upperend of the half section by which they are carried whereby when the boxis open they may be severally removed through the open upper end of thesaid half section from the positions in which they are normallysupported or inserted through said open upper end into the positions inwhich they are normally supported. The upper end of the handle I9 issubstantially in the common plane of the upper ends of the tool elementsII.

The set B consists of a series of tool shanks I2 arranged in parallelrelation and preferably includes a handle I3 arranged in parallelrelation to the shanks I2 and carrying a tool shank I212. The toolshanks I2 and I2a are of the. same construction as the tool shanks 9 butare of shorter length to enable their use in situations for which thelonger tool shanks 9 are not suitable or avail- H able. The shanks I2are provided at their free ends with any desired tool elements I4,these, as shown, being socket wrenches graduated in diameter. The shankI2a is similarly provided at its free end with a tool element I4a whichmay be of any form desired, the form shown being a screw driver. The setB, in which the tool shanks I2 are of uniform length, is arrangedadjacent the lower end of the half section by which it is carried andthe length and arrangement of the shanks I2 are such that the upper endsof said shanks, when the box is closed, closely adjoin, but withoutcontacting, the lower ends of the shanks 9. The handle I3 with itsattached shank I2a substantially conforms in length to the shanks I2,the upper end of the handle I3 being substantially in the common planeof the upper ends of said shanks. The location of the set B upon thewall 2 is such that when the box is closed the parts composing the set Bwill be positioned under the shanks 9.

Each of the tool shanks 9, 9a, 9b, I2 and I2a, as an element of thedetachable connections between it and the handle, is provided at asuitable distance from its inner end with a projection I5. In theconstruction shown (which, as above mentioned, conforms to thedisclosure of the Petre and 'Olsen application, Serial No. 646,654) theprojections I5 are in the form of splines or keys. The projections I5cooperate with elements which support the tool parts from the side wallsI and 2 and hold themin properly centered relation relatively to oneanother.

The tool supporting elements are designated as I 6 I1 and I8 in theorder of their cooperation 4 with the shanks 9, 9b and I2, the shanks 9being supported by the elements IS, the shanks 9b and the handle I9 andits associated shank 9a being supported by the element I1 and the shanksI2 and the handle I3 and its associated shank I2a being supported by theelement I8.

The elements I6, I"! and I8 are similarly constructed, the elements I6and I! being rigidly connected in transverse relation to the side wall Iand the element IB being rigidly connected in transverse relation to theside wall 2. The elements I6, I! and I8 are preferably of channel crosssection and each include opposing, suitably spaced, upper and lowerhorizontal flanges I9 and 29, preferably of the same widths as the frontand rear walls 3. The opposing flanges I9 and 20 are provided withregistering openings 2I through which the shanks are inserted. Theprojections I5 have supporting engagement upon the upper flanges I9; andthe flanges I9 and 20, in opposing pairs, cooperate to hold the shanksin parallel and properly centered relation to one another. The handlesI0 and I3 are similarly supported upon the upper flanges I9 and theirassociated shanks 9a and I2a, respectively, similarly project throughregistering openings 2I in the opposing flanges whereby the handles areheld in parallel and properly centered relation relatively to theadjacent shanks.

The element I 8 is preferably of the same extent as the element I6 andhas the same number of pairs of registering openings 2I although, asshown, not all of these openings will necessarily be utilized. Thus theelements I6 and I8 may be made from the same die.

Assuming a vertical position of the box for display or use the shanks 9,9b and I2 are positioned with their tool elements uppermost. When thebox is opened, as shown in Figure 2, the bottom wall 4 and the bottomedges of the walls 3 provide stable support for the box upon a counter,Work bench or table. Any of the tool parts of the set A may be removedthrough the open upper end of the half section by which they arecarried, the tool parts in such movement being lifted in the axialdirection from their supporting element. Similarly any of the tool partsof set B may be removed by being lifted in the axial direction fromtheir supporting element, the space between such tool parts and the topwall 4 being ample to permit such removal. The tool parts of set A arereplaced by a movement in the axial direction in which the shanks arepassed through the registering openings 2 I, such movement beingcontinued until the projections I5, or, in the case of the handle, thebottom of the handle engages upon the supporting element. The tool partsof set B are similarly replaced.

The element I8 is so located upon the wall 2 that when the box is closedthe tool parts of the set B will have their upper ends under and inclosely adjacent relation, and suitably offset relatively to, the lowerends of the shanks 9 as indicated by broken lines in Figure 2. Thus theupper ends of the tool parts of the set B will have contact with thelower ends of the shanks 9 when the box is tilted or inverted, as mayhappen incidental to transport or storage, and by such contact thedisplacement of the shanks I2 will be prevented. The adjacency of theupper ends of the shanks I2 to the lower ends of the shanks 9 is of suchclose degree that the rattling of the shanks I2 will be substantiallyeliminated. In like manner the upper ends of the shanks 9a and 9b willbe adjacent the top wall 4 in a degree of such closeness thatdisplacement of the shanks 9 and 9b will be prevented and the rattlingthereof substantially eliminated. Thus the shanks 9 will be positivelyheld in a position in' which their lower ends will, as above described,prevent displacement of the shanks I2.

The box thus provides an exceedingly compact container for tool parts ofthe construction described and, when closed, prevents the displacementof such parts and substantially eliminates their rattling. When open itprovides an effective display of the tool parts which may be utilizedfor advertising or sales purposes and an orderly arrangement thereofwhich facilitates their proper selection and enables any part to befreely and instantly removed from and replaced into the position inwhich it is normally supported without interference by any other part.

I claim:

A tool kit comprising a tool box composed of companion half sectionshingedly connected for book-fashion opening and closing movement andeach including a side wall, the side wall of one section being providedwith a top wall which extends in right angular relation, the side wallsbeing in parallel planes when the sections are closed and the top wall,when the sections are closed, bridging the space between the side walls,the section which does not carry the top wall having an open upper endwhen the sections are opened, tool parts supporting elements mountedtransversely upon the side wall of the section which does not carry thetop wall and formed with openings having longitudinal axes, an upper setof tool parts having shanks of uniform length, the shanks in eachinstance being provided with a projection between its ends, theprojections being located in the same relative positions on the severalshanks, the shanks being fitted in the openings of the tool partssupporting elements whereby the tool parts are maintained in mutuallyparallel relation and the projections on their shanks have supportingengagement upon the tool parts supporting elements, the supportingelements cooperating with the projections in supporting the tool partswith their upper ends in close adjacency to the open upper end of thesection by which the supporting elements are carried and to the top wallin the closed relation of the sections, other tool parts supportingelements similar to the supporting elements first named and mountedtransversely upon the side wall of the section which carries the topwall and at an elevation substantially below the elevation of the toolparts supporting elements first named, a lower set of tool parts havingshanks of uniform length and of shorter length than the shanks of theupper set of tool parts, the shanks of the lower set of tool parts ineach instance being provided with a projection between its ends, theprojections being located in the same relative positions on the severalshanks of the lower set of tool parts, the shanks of the lower set oftool parts being fitted in the openings of the second named tool partssupporting elements whereby the tool parts of the second named set aremaintained in mutually parallel relation and the projections on theirshanks have supporting engagement upon the second named tool partssupporting elements, the second named tool parts supporting elementscooperating with the projections on the shanks of the second namedtoolparts in supporting the second named tool parts, in the closed relationof the sections, with their upper ends in close adjacency to the lowerends of the shanks of the first named set of tool parts.

JOHN N. PETRE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 436,543 Quigley Sept. 16, 18901,043,891 Zange Nov. 12, 1912 1,569,142 Rippetoe Jan. 12, 1926 1,608,274Grayson Nov. 23, 1926 2,305,021 Meier Dec. 15, 1942 2,408,227 RamseySept. 24, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 354,937 Germany June1'7, 1922

